Dark Winds
by meixel
Summary: An apparent suicide draws Mike and Steve into a new and mysterious realm. A response to a writer's challenge for sci-fi and supernatural.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to the wonderful readers who have been supportive in this fandom. I appreciate your encouragement. This story is in response to a writers challenge for October (sci-fi / supernatural). While this sci-fi is probably derivative of everything I've ever seen or read that has anything to do with supernatural, the challenge is to keep the character actions and reactions true. I also have had interests in Asian culture, so wanted to add an element of Eastern mysticism to the fiction. All of this is completely made up and has no roots in anything real.

Disclaimer: SOSF and its characters are by no means owned by me. No profit is made. All is done for fun and skill development.

* * *

**Dark Winds, Part 1**

Mike Stone opened the rooftop doorway and found the lone figure he was seeking. He had to get as close as he could to the edge of the ten story building without scaring the jumper. He slowed his pace, careful not to frighten the young woman who stood precariously on top of the raised ledge. As if being on the edge wasn't enough, the winds were particularly cold and gusty on this overcast October day. As petite as the young woman appeared, it would take little more from the elements to send her over.

Normally, jumpers faced the street as the contemplated their next, and quite possibly final, step. This young Asian woman stood with her heels at the edge and stared directly back at Mike. The Lieutenant froze. She was just a girl; slight with long dark hair. Mike put her as late teens or early twenties. His mind quickly flashed to his own daughter, and for a split second he wondered how a young woman could be in such dire straights at this stage of her life. He had to stop thinking about the `why' of the situation and figure out how he was going to talk her down. He knew he needed to focus.

His partner, Inspector Steve Keller, was behind him, but then carefully stepped to the side to allow for the girl to focus solely on Stone. His boss would be the one to try to talk her down. If she listened and did what Mike said, she'd quickly take his hand and climb down from the ledge. Hopefully she was in a mindset to where she could comprehend. If she were on drugs or otherwise disturbed, the effort would be futile. If she resisted, Mike would do all that he could to divert her attention until Steve could grab her and pull her down.

"Miss…I'm Lieutenant Mike Stone. It's awfully dangerous where you are right now. Please step down from that ledge."

"M`h'hóu dihm ngóh!" (don`t touch me!)

"I'm sorry, miss. I don't understand." Mike inched closer to the young woman. Her eyes grew wider in fear. He reached his hand slowly to her and tried to smile. If she couldn't understand English, perhaps she could tell that he meant no harm.

"M`h'hóu dihm ngóh!" (don`t touch me!)

He displayed his badge thinking she might figure out he was a police officer. She inched back; her heels were over the edge now.

Steve was to the side, hunched down. She looked at Mike with such fear that she didn't appear to notice the young man. Mike saw that Steve was crawling closer to the raised ledge. He hoped they had another option beside Steve making a one shot attempt at grabbing her before she jumped, but given the way she was responding, it was an unfortunate possibility.

"Miss…qing." Mike surmised the young woman spoke some form of Chinese. His words and phrases were limited, but he knew `qing' meant `please'. "Come with me, qing," he said as he motioned his hand.

The young woman took another small step back and started to lose her balance on the ledge. This was the only sign Steve needed as he sprang to the ledge with the plan of pulling her towards him. He grabbed around her waist, but she instead stepped back and tried to push him away.

"No!" Steve shouted as she toppled over the side. He fell forward hard against the top of the ledge in his attempt to clutch any part of her he could grab. Realizing he still had a hold, he looked down and saw that he held her right forearm with both hands.

It was at least something. But as gravity played a game of tug of war, the detective felt her weight being pulled to the ground below. He could feel the pain in his ribs as they pressed against the raised ledge. As she became heavier to hold, his midsection scraped against the uneven surface.

Mike was only two seconds behind him. He ran over and tried to help his partner gain control of the fallen girl. At that angle, he could not reach the young woman. To his surprise, he saw that while Steve had a strong hold of her forearm, she was fighting him by trying to break the hold with her free hand. The more she fought, the further she would slip. Steve tried to reposition himself in order to gain leverage but in doing so only shifted his center of balance. Mike soon became aware that Steve was putting himself at risk for toppling over the side as well.

With one last scream and one wild swing, the young woman inserted her nails into Steve's wrist and clawed violently. The pain was intense and his blood began to flow. Steve caught the eyes of the young woman as they turned abruptly dark. He felt a quick tug and then saw the look of horror on her face as she broke his hold and fell nearly one hundred feet.

Both detectives stood speechless and slack jawed as she hit the ground. The small crowd which had gathered below dispersed quickly as the body fell. A lone uniformed policeman rushed over to the girl's body and shook his head at the detectives. It was unnecessary, but at least confirmed what they knew. She was killed immediately.

Mike's attention turned to his partner, who was still bent unsteadlily over the ledge as if he were continuing to hold the girl. Quickly, he grabbed him around his shoulders and pulled him back over the ledge. "Come on," Mike said under his breath.

Feeling a bit dizzy, Steve slowly lowered himself into a sitting position with his back against the ledge. "You okay? Take a deep breath." Mike said as he tried to regain control over the situation.

A slight nod was returned with a cracked voice. "I'm all right."

Mike hunched down and looked his partner in the eyes. "We did all we could."

"I know," was the quiet response. "She fought me."

Mike nodded as he stood back up. "Let`s get back downstairs. Can you make it?" He wanted to get Steve and himself off the rooftop immediately.

"I'm fine, really." Steve allowed for Mike to help him stand by offering his hand, unaware that it was completely covered in blood.

"What happened? You're bleeding all over the place." Mike only then saw the damage to his wrist.

"It must have been her nails; they were like claws. I told you she fought me."

"Looks like she nicked a vein or two," Mike said as he examined the area further. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a clean handkerchief. "Hang on, Buddy boy. Let me tie this around your wrist to stop the bleeding until we get downstairs. We need to get you to a doctor."

"I'll be…" Steve began as he cradled his wrapped wrist against his midsection. He winced as he started to walk.

"I know, you'll be fine. We'll have them look at your ribs, too. I saw how you landed when you hit the ledge."

Steve nodded in agreement and then thought of the girl. "I don't understand, Mike. Why did she fight like that? And what did she say to you?"

"I don't know; I couldn't understand her. I think she was speaking Chinese. As for why, we'll have the Medical Examiner look and see what he can find. Drugs, maybe?"

The two men walked back inside to the top floor's elevator. As the doors open, they entered and rode down quietly. Steve sighed and leaned back against the wall. He felt nauseas, but suppressed the urge to react in front of Mike. Instead, he silently attributed it to the stress he just went through. As a light sweat broke out on his face, he was beginning to feel odd. It didn't make sense, and deep down he knew something wasn't right.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to mcatb, carismum, tanith and MaryCain for your reviews!

**Dark Winds, Part 2**

Mike had one of the patrol cars take Steve to the nearby hospital while he worked with other responders. A resident of a neighboring building had made the initial call about the jumper. Since Inspectors 8-1 was the closest unit, Mike and Steve responded, but by the time it was all over, additional units had arrived. The scene was now crowded with police and onlookers.

The detective walked over to the young girl's body, which had already been covered by a sheet, to search for anything that would give him a clue of the girl's identity. While there was no written form of ID, Mike found the girl wore a gold locket with a picture of a middle aged Asian couple. Wondering if these were the girl's parents, Mike again asked himself what could possibly have caused this young woman to be in such turmoil.

Joining the other responders, Bernie Bradley arrived from the Medical Examiner's office and found Mike hunched down by the body still searching for clues.

"What do you have, Mike?" Bernie called out and shook Mike back to reality.

"This young girl jumped from the top of the building." Mike said as he pointed to the rooftop where he and his partner had been only ten minutes ago.

"Landed on her back? Was she pushed?" Bernie asked for clarification.

"No, not at all. Steve had a hold of her as she was over the ledge but she resisted him pulling her back. She started clawing him and finally broke free," the senior detective shook his head. He quickly thought of Steve and wondered if the young man would have nightmares about the ordeal.

"It's rainy and cold," Bernie observed. "You know, it's rare for people to jump from buildings or bridges in the rain. They normally do it on sunny days."

Taken aback by the matter-of-fact nature of Bernie`s observation, Mike replied, "They normally don`t fall backwards either, do they?"

"No. It's usually face forward. People want to know where they are falling. Backwards would make me think she was trying to find out if she was being followed. Or maybe she was expecting someone to appear."

"I don`t know, Bernie. I don't know anything at this point," Mike shook his head in frustration. "I have no name or address. She didn't speak English, at least not up there. It was some form of Chinese."

"We'll take her in, Mike. We'll run blood tests and do a full autopsy. I`ll call you with any findings."

"Okay, thanks Bernie. Oh, and I'm going to take this locket and have the picture blown up. Maybe we'll run it on the news to see if anyone knows of the couple. Perhaps we can ID her that way."

"Someone will be missing her, Mike. A pretty little girl like that."

Mike nodded. The attendants arrived with the stretcher and Mike watched Bernie, the girl and the wagon leave the scene.

* * *

Mike entered the emergency room of St. John's Hospital looking for his partner. It didn't take long to find the young man lying on the exam table of ER 4. Stripped to the waist with an IV in his right arm, Steve looked away to the opposite wall as the nurse held his left arm steadily and the doctor stitched his wrist. Mike winced as caught sight the needle being pulled through Steve`s skin.

"How is he, doc?" Mike asked while no longer looking directly at the wound or the treatment. Hearing Mike's voice, Steve peered over to his partner and smirked as he noticed the older man's squeamishness.

"Lucky. A couple of veins were cut, but fortunately not severed. I'll be able to stitch him up in short order."

"How about his ribs? He fell into a low wall…"

"Yes, he told me what happened. Mr. Keller also has some bruising, but nothing broken. We'll wrap his ribs before we let him go." The doctor began to finish the stitching, but then added, "The other thing is that he's running a slight fever. It's low grade, but we've started him on antibiotics along with saline to get him rehydrated from what I'd characterize as minimum to moderate blood loss from the wrist. It's a precaution." He quickly glanced over to the IV.

"Sounds like it could have been worse," Mike acknowledged.

"Sure, but he`ll be fine. I'd keep an eye on the fever, though. He had some nausea earlier, but that seems to be better, isn't it, young man?" The doctor redirected his question to his patient.

Steve looked around, but didn't answer immediately. "You're talking to me…I'm sorry. Yes, the nausea is better. I'm fine."

"Good," the doctor spoke as he continued to stitch. "A couple of days rest will be welcome, I`m sure. I believe you're his superior…"

"I'll see to it that he gets some time off," Mike agreed.

* * *

After the IV finished and the doctor wrapped Steve`s midsection, Mike remained in the room to help his partner with his shirt. The young man was unusually quiet and Mike was concerned.

"You don't look so good. Are you sure you are ready to go home?" Mike asked.

"I'm fine, just tired," Steve paused for a moment. "That poor girl. Did you find anything out?"

"Not yet, but we're working on it." Mike pulled Steve's shirt around and helped him get his injured arm through the sleeve. "How's the arm feel?"

"Numb," he replied as he buttoned with one hand.

Mike nodded in understanding as he grabbed the discharge papers. "Well, let's get you home. You hungry? You should eat."

"Yeah, maybe a little something…"

As the two men walked down the hallway through the ER waiting room, Steve caught a glimpse of a white haired Asian man looking his way from one of the seats. With the hair on the back of his neck raised, Steve felt an odd sense of foreboding. An image of a sparse filthy room, constructed of cement blocks, suddenly flashed before him. He stopped for a moment as Mike walked ahead.

Not seeing anything but the vision of the arcane room, Steve began to panic and took a deep breath. Mike, realizing that Steve was no longer at his side, looked back and saw the young man standing alone breathing heavily in the middle of the hall. He immediately turned around.

"Steve…" Mike said as he grabbed the young man on the arm. With that touch, the image of the room faded and Steve returned to reality.

"Okay, that was strange…" Steve began.

"I'm taking you back to the doctor." Mike cut him off.

"No, Mike. I'm just tired. Let me go home and get some sleep."

"You don't look right…" Mike noticed his partner was paler than when they left the treatment room. He also noticed his partner's eyes were darker and a bit sunken.

"I'm probably coming down with something," Steve conceded. "Look, if I'm not better in the morning, I'll come back. Okay? Please, I just want to go home."

Mike paused for a moment. He was beginning to have an odd feeling about his partner's condition. While he didn't want to be overbearing, his protective instincts were kicking in. "We'll swing by your apartment and pick up some things. You can stay in the spare bedroom tonight at my place. If you are doing better in the morning, I'll take you back home. If not, you`re coming back here."

"No, that's not necessary." Steve countered.

"It's either that or you go back to the ER doctor right now, and I tell him what I just saw."

Steve glared back at Mike in an almost childish, defiant way. He looked away briefly and caught sight again of the older Asian man who was now watching the scene between the pair play out. Again, Steve felt his nerves react. He wanted to leave quickly.

"Okay," Steve agreed. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Dark Winds, Part 3**

* * *

The following morning…

Mike sat at his desk reviewing the jumper case. At this point, he figured it was obvious that the girl's unfortunate death would be ruled a suicide. Still, something left him very unsettled about the whole affair. For one thing, she was so young and innocent looking. For another, her fear and her last words, while incomprehensible to him, nonetheless chilled him to his core. And finally, his own partner, who had been injured in attempting to save the girl, hadn't seemed right since they were on the rooftop.

As such, Steve was still at the Stone residence while Mike wrapped up the paperwork on the case. Mike heard his partner get up a few times during the night and knew he hadn't slept well. As he left early for the station, Mike found him sleeping soundly and decided not to disturb the young man. He scribbled a note saying that he'd be back at lunchtime and left it on top of the dresser in his guest bedroom.

Mike had Detective Lee Lessing run copies of the locket picture over to the local television stations. Stifling a yawn, the senior detective then replayed the roof scene in his head one more time. He wondered if there wasn't some sort of clue he missed which would help him figure out who the girl was or why she was up there.

He got up to get some of Haseejian's famous, but barely drinkable, coffee when Bernie Bradley reappeared with the preliminary results of the girl's autopsy.

"Bernie, can I buy you a coffee?" the senior detective offered as he tossed a dime in the collection dish which sat next to the pot.

"I've heard about that poison you drink. It's amazing I don't get more direct business from this squad room," Bernie observed.

"Very funny," Haseejian piped in.

Mike chuckled and invited the Medical Examiner into his office.

"So, what do you have?" Mike inquired.

"Well, I can tell you what I don't have: evidence of any drug use. The young girl was clean."

Deep down, Mike was not at all surprised. "How old do you think she was?"

"Hard to tell, but I'll venture a guess and say around 21. Her petite size made her look a bit younger."

"Anything else?"

"She had a strange wound near the side of her neck. It was deep and not exactly fresh. It was maybe a few days old."

"What was strange about it?"

"Well, it was basically a hole. Like about nearly an inch deep. I can't think what would have caused it."

"A needle? Although you said there was no sign of any drugs in her system."

"I'd say it was a bit larger than a needle, but you get the idea. Something long and slender. Nothing at all jagged. The question is, 'why would she have a wound like that?'."

Mike had no idea. "Okay, what else?"

"She died of extensive trauma and internal injuries consistent with a fall. But there was something else I noticed."

"What's that, Bernie?"

"Usually when someone falls, you can see indication of some sort of self defense they were attempting on impact. There was nothing like that here. Now part of it was that perhaps by falling backward, there wasn't much ability to move around. But you can almost expect to see a jumper's arms around their head or in such a way that indicates they were bracing themselves. There was nothing like that at all. I could almost see where she was either unconscious or dead before she hit."

"Dead before? How?"

"Could have been fear, perhaps. She could have lost consciousness, or fainted, on the way down. That happens."

"Steve mentioned last night that her eyes changed. He said they became darker. Then, he felt some sort of tug as she fell. What do you think about that? Could she have passed out or died before she hit the ground?"

"The dark eyes make me think of dilation. You know…when there's some sort of imbalance or brain injury. An aneurysm, perhaps? The tug…I don't know. Perhaps she became dead weight in his arms."

Mike nodded as he tried to process. "What about the brain injury, then? Would you be able to tell if something major happened before the impact of the fall?"

The Medical Examiner understood what Mike was getting at. "The damage from the impact was catastrophic at the back of the brain. There was nearly equal catastrophic damage at the front because of the resulting reverberation. Think of it as the brain bouncing. But let me go back and see if there's anything that stands out in the relatively uninjured parts. What are you thinking, Mike?"

Mike paused thoughtfully. "I know I can simply close the file and let the 'suicide' ruling stand. But then I think about the picture of the couple in the locket. There's probably some couple who is missing their daughter. They are going to want to know answers. I'll feel like I haven't done my job if I haven't tried my best to give them every fact."

Bernie picked up the picture of Mike's daughter from his desk and looked at the pretty smiling girl. "The only 'fact' that matters to them is the one that she's been lost for good. Death is permanent. But you're right - if we can provide more explanation, it will be better. Let's see if we can't find something more. Perhaps there's something that physiologically caused her to do what she did." Bernie placed the picture where he found it and got up. "I'll call you if I find something else."

As Bernie left, Dr. Lenny Murchison walked in. "Next," he announced as he automatically took the chair Bernie used.

"Why Dr. Murchison, what do I owe this pleasure?" Mike smiled. He genuinely liked Lenny, who was the principle psychiatrist used by Stone and the other detectives for everything from profiling to counseling.

"I heard about what happened last night and I just wanted to make sure that two of my favorite detectives were faring well."

"Well, you've caught one of us. The other is getting some much needed downtime."

"Yes, I heard he took a bit of a beating out there. Is he okay?"

Mike did not respond quickly and Lenny picked up on it. "Mike?"

"I don't know. Something's not right." Mike proceeded to tell Lenny of what happened at the hospital the night before as well as Steve having difficulty sleeping over at his place.

"Well, it's certainly understandable for him to have a hard time handling what happened. It was very traumatic, especially since he was the one holding on to her," Lenny reasoned. "Tell you what, why don't I go home with you at lunch and I can take a look at Steve for myself. I may be a little rusty, but I'm still an MD. I've got my bag in the car."

Mike rose and instantly grabbed his hat and coat. "Sounds like a great idea. If he needs to be back at the hospital, we'll take him. If he's okay, great - we'll grab lunch and then take him back to his apartment."

* * *

The pair arrived back at Mike's house. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as they pulled up along the curb. When Mike unlocked the front door, he found Steve sitting on the sofa wrapped in a blanket watching "The Price is Right". He didn't acknowledge either man as they entered the room.

Lenny looked over to Mike who didn't hide his concern.

"I never thought of you as the game show type, Steve," Lenny said as he decided to take a light approach. With no reaction, Lenny walked over and tapped the young man on the shoulder. "Steve? You with us?"

The tapping returned Steve to reality. He slowly changed his gaze to Lenny. "Lenny. I'm sorry, I must have been zoning out."

"I've never known Steve Keller to zone out," Lenny challenged.

"Yeah, I don't know quite what's wrong. I mean, I don't feel sick but something is off."

"How long have you felt like this?" Lenny opened his bag and pulled out his blood pressure cuff. He grabbed Steve's uninjured arm and wrapped the cuff around it.

"I slept in," Steve looked over to Mike. "Thanks, it helped. And then, I came out here to wait for you to come back at lunch. For some reason, it's colder in this room. I don't remember it ever being like that."

Mike was puzzled about Steve's room temperature remark. It was typically warmer in the front room because of how the sun hit in the morning.

Lenny finished checking his pressure. "Your BP is a bit low. Are you tired?"

"I don't think 'tired' is the word. I don't know what it is. I'm actually a little nervous and I don't know why." At least Steve was being honest with Lenny. There were times when all anyone could get out of Steve was "I'm all right" or "I'm fine", even when he was sick or shot or beaten.

Lenny grabbed his thermometer and stuck it in Steve's mouth. "Is that really necessary?" Steve mumbled trying to juggle the glass reader with his tongue.

"I'm afraid so," Lenny smirked. "I'm going to take your pulse while we're waiting on the temp."

Mike watched the interaction between Lenny and Steve and figured they'd be on their way back to the hospital in short order. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

When Mike opened it, the white haired Asian man from the emergency room waiting area stood before him. While Mike didn't recognize the old man, Steve did.

Steve's pulse rate shot up. Seeing the muscles in Steve's jaw tighten, Lenny quickly grabbed the thermometer out of his mouth before his patient bit it through.

"That's breakable, you know. I don't think you want a mouthful of mercury," Lenny advised as he conceded that he didn't have time to get a proper reading.

With Mike's attention directed to his colleagues, he momentarily ignored the old man.

"Are you Lieutenant Stone?" the man asked in perfect, but heavily accented, English.

"Um, yes. Do I know you?" Mike returned his attention to the Asian.

"My name is Tan Choi. I'd like to speak to you about the young girl who died last night," came the reply.

"Did you know the girl, Mr. Choi?" Mike was intrigued.

"No, I did not know the young woman. However, it is urgent that I speak to you about what caused her demise."

The old man then walked over to Steve and knelt before him. "Chén, wǒ zhǎodàole nǐ. Xié'è de réngrán shì zài jiēdào shàng. Wǒ xūyào nǐ de bāngzhù."

Mike stood by and tried to process this development. Here he was in his own living room with a complete stranger discussing a case that had already left him feeling unsettled. This same stranger was speaking in a foreign tongue to a young man whom he knew as well as anyone and whose only language fluency was English.

With his jaw set, Steve listened to Tan Choi's words. His face was now gaunt and as pale as the night before. The dark circles around his eyes contradicted their otherwise alert and unusually piercing appearance. While it seemed Steve may have understood Choi, Mike felt confused as to how that could actually be.

His confusion increased exponentially at Steve's response: "Wúlùn nín xūyào shénme."

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

a/n: Thanks to those who have read, reviewed and are following this story. I really appreciate it!

This chapter goes more into the background of the 'spirits' and explains what happened to the jumper. It's entirely made up (meaning, to my knowledge, there's no real link to anything that's ancient Chinese), but probably derivative of anything that's ever involved spirits inhabiting people.

* * *

**Dark Winds, Part 4**

* * *

Setting: Mike's Living Room...

"I think I need to sit down," Mike said to himself as he slowly dropped into his armchair.

Lenny, who had been taking Steve's vital signs, now had a ringside view of the discussion between Tan Choi and the young cop. The pair carried on their conversation for several minutes. Curiosity interrupted Lenny's fascination with what was before him; he shot a quick glance over to see Mike's reaction. The older man sat wide eyed and stiff as a board. Neither man understood what was happening.

Finally, Tan Choi stopped speaking and rose from his kneeling position to stand in the center of the room. Steve was completely exhausted by the exchange and leaned back into the sofa.

"I need an explanation from someone," Mike demanded loudly. "Choi? Steve? What the hell is going on?"

Choi responded calmly. "What I have to tell you, you will not believe."

"Try me," Mike challenged.

"In your culture, you call them angels and demons. In my culture, they are spirits or 'Jiǔ'. Some spirits are good and other are evil. Others are in between." Tan Choi paused for a moment to study his audience. Lenny's eyes were wide with wonder as he sat on the edge of his seat. Mike, on the other hand, was growing angry.

"Go on…" Mike hissed.

"My brother and I come from an ancient line of Yon. We are hosts to spirits who are oppressed by the evil one or 'the Huai'. If a Huai defeats a Yon, the Huai gains more strength. The Yon are intelligent, but flawed. If a Yon defeats a Huai, the Yon gets his freedom and eternal peace."

"Mr. Choi, you are trying my patience with this talk of spirits," Mike began.

"Please, Lieutenant, let me explain. A week ago, my brother and I crossed paths with a Huai. The Haui took my brother by surprise and killed him, but the Yon spirit escaped before it could be captured. I have tracked the Yon to this young man," Tan Choi pointed to Steve.

Lenny was fascinated by the explanation. "So you are trying to find the Yon who escaped?"

"Yes, it is imperative that I find it. The Yon can be very difficult. A new, inexperienced host will not know how to handle this spirit. Eventually, the Yon and the host will battle, but the Yon will eventually take over the host's ability to reason. The host becomes more volatile and sometimes they become violent. The conflict is what kills them."

"And you are wanting to save others from this fate." Lenny led. To Mike, it seemed the psychiatrist had too quickly accepted the premise Tan Choi offered. Mike's eyes darted to Lenny who quickly shrugged his shoulders.

"As my brother was dying, the Yon escaped his body and entered into the nurse who was treating him."

"And you wanted to help the nurse avoid the conflict with the Yon? What happened?" Lenny prompted.

"She would never be able to _avoid _the conflict, but I could have helped her manage it. I followed the nurse and found that she taught a night class. I approached her and saw she was having severe difficulty with the spirit even then. Nevertheless, she thought I was crazy and refused to speak to me. Not long after that, she became ill and died."

"How did she die?" Mike asked; his tone had softened, but was still tinged with anger.

"Not exactly sure, but she took ill at the school. She collapsed and a couple of students came to her aide. The young woman who died last night was one of those students. I followed her to the building from where she fell and watched her climb onto the roof."

"Are you saying you could have stopped her?" Mike's patience was once again growing thin.

"I tried talking to her, but she was afraid of me. The Yon took control of her and she didn't understand what was going on. I didn't want to see her fall, so I called the police. That's when you and your partner arrived. I thought that maybe you could stop her from jumping and then I could reach out to her. But then I saw her fight him as they were hanging over the edge. As she died, she passed the Yon onto the young man."

Mike quickly glanced to his partner, who was clearly worn out on the sofa.

Tan Choi continued somberly. "After leaving my brother, both of the successor hosts died. The Yon is motivated entirely by defeating the Huai and will do anything to find a host that will be able to fight. The best chance this young man has is to defeat the Huai."

Steve raised his head from the back of the couch and opened his eyes. The three older men noticed a blue tinge to his lips which further indicated that young man was in poor shape. "Defeat the Huai? Are you kidding me?" he uttered weakly. In his current state, Steve would defeat no one. Mike and Lenny were troubled by the decline.

"As I said, the Huai took my brother by surprise. But now that we know about him, the spirits in us both can work together and end this Huai's reign. I feel we can do it. If you defeat him the way the ancient books say, you will be free of the Yon. It's your only way."

"If I don't, I'm going to die, aren't I?" he asked quietly. Mike and Lenny looked sympathetically and started to speak.

Tan Choi beat them to the words. "I am afraid so. My brother and I have spent decades understanding and living with the Yon. I can share some of our learnings with you. Perhaps that will make conditions better for you, but in the end, chances are great that the Yon will take you."

"Terrific," Steve said under his breath. He knew that he couldn't live in the tormented state much longer. "Let me ask you this. Both women died soon after they encountered the Yon. What makes you think this won't end any differently?" Mike swallowed hard when hearing the question.

"In hindsight, I can say that both women were alone when I tried to talk to them. It made them frightened which in turn made the Yon more volatile. I needed to break that pattern, so I waited to approach you when these men here were present. They are your protectors from what I can tell. I believe that gives you comfort and it gives me a better chance to help you.

No one disagreed with any of what was said. "You have a Yon inside of you as well?" Mike asked Tan Choi hesitantly.

"Yes, as I've said, my brother and I have been at peace with these spirits. The Yon which exists in this young man was with my brother for a long time and he recognizes me. I believe if your partner will allow it, I can certainly help him."

Steve sighed. It was too much to process, but he knew time was running out. "Okay, how can you help me?"

"First, we must make you a more stable host for the Yon. I brought some tea that has special herbs which will help with that."

"Tea? At this point, I'll try anything. I have to tell you, I've never felt as lousy as I do right now." For nearly a day, Steve had been exhausted, uptight and in an odd pain which he could not describe,. The chill he felt earlier was unrelenting. He shuddered as he spoke.

"You will feel better. If I may trouble you, Lieutenant Stone, for some boiled water?"

"I'll get it, Mike." Lenny offered after seeing the bewildered expression on Mike's face.

"After we get you to a better condition, you will come with me. We must find the Huai before it's too late."

Mike reacted quickly. "The only place he's going is to a hospital. Mr. Choi, you have told an interesting story, but it is not one I can accept."

Tan Choi tried to reason with the detective. "I know it is very hard to understand. But do you have any other explanation for what's happened in the last 24 hours? Have you known your friend to speak in this strange tongue before? Has he not been out of sorts since the young woman fell?"

"I'm sure he's troubled by what he witnessed with the girl. That's part of the reason I brought Dr. Murchison with me. For him speaking Chinese, I have no other explanation, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let him go with you."

Steve genuinely appreciated Mike's protective nature. It gave him great comfort to know that Mike had an emotional stake in his well being. Nevertheless, his mentor had no idea what the past twenty four hours had been like for him.

"Mike, I don't know how to say this. Since last night, I'm weak and tired. I have a constant throbbing headache and I feel out of control. I can't explain what it is, but it's as if I get transported away from where I am physically. At the hospital, one moment I was walking with you and then the next I was someplace else."

"And were you 'someplace else' when Mike and I got here earlier?" Lenny asked as he returned with the boiled water in a cup. He handed the cup to Tan Choi who carefully placed a sachet of unusual herbs to seep.

"Yeah, it was definitely a different place, but I don't know where. I was alone and it was frightening," Steve stopped for a moment to reflect. "Tan Choi, let me ask you something. You seem to know who Mike is, so I'm assuming that you know we're both homicide detectives. Your brother's death would have been reported to the police. Why don't we know about it?"

"It happened across the Bay, out of your jurisdiction. The police are investigating it as a robbery and murder."

"Where did the robbery occur?" Mike welcomed the reference to something he understood.

"Oakland. My brother and I have an import shop over there. The Huai came in the form of a robber and shot him."

"What was your brother's name?" Mike asked as he pulled out a notepad.

"Tan Chen," Steve answered without thinking. "Choi, is it your brother's spirit that's inside of me or is it the Yon."

"The Yon is inside of you, but understand it was at peace with Tan Chen. After Chen was killed, I do believe the Yon went into mourning. Here, you drink this." Tan Choi said as he started to hand the cup to Steve.

"What's in it?" Mike asked suspiciously.

"Old Chinese herbs, plus some very unique root derivatives. He will feel better in moments."

"What kind of herbs?" Mike pressed.

"Opium," Steve smirked as he guessed the contents. Tan Choi frowned at the young man, who laughed again when he realized it was one of the key ingredients. "I'm going to die, but I'll be happy. Hand it over, old man."

Steve reached out his trembling hand. Tan Choi did as told.

"L'Chaim." Steve remarked dryly as he quickly consumed the tea.


	5. Chapter 5

a/n - I can generally juggle things fairly well, but RL has got the best of my right now. I don't like ending the chapter where I did, but I'm still trying to work through the next part and wanted to do an update sooner rather than later. So my apologies for the obvious cliffhanger.

**Dark Winds part 5**

Tan Choi watched as Steve finished the tea. "It will take more than that to get back on your feet. I can help you and also show you some yoga and other meditations which will assist you in adjusting to the Yon." Choi added.

"All right, enough," Mike began impatiently. He started to continue, but Steve stopped him.

"Mike, I do feel better. Look, I know all of this Yon and spiritualism is hard to grasp. But right now, I'm for becoming stable again. I'll take a few days off and see if I have any more visions or problems." Steve tried to reason with his partner. Lenny looked on in fascination.

Mike ignored Lenny and Choi. He walked over to where the young man sat and spoke directly to his partner. "You look like hell and you need medical attention," the older man argued. His voice was harsh as he spoke barely above a whisper. "REAL medical attention and not some Kung Fu tea. You have no idea what is in that. I can't believe you drank it. Have you lost your mind?"

Steve remained quite for a moment. "It's quite possible that I have, Mike. You have no idea what this feels like. There are no words that can describe the sensation of moving from one reality to what seems like another in a matter of seconds. The aches and pains are different, too. The headache I've been having is miserable. If there's something that can make me understand this or provide some relief, I need to take it."

Mike stood up and took a step back. He was completely speechless.

"You will need to continue with the tea, my friend," Choi reiterated. "You feel better right now, but your Lieutenant is right: you are still pale and unwell. I can take you over to my shop in Oakland. There you can have the tea you need and we can talk about how my brother and I learned to live with this spirit."

Steve was uncertain on what to do. Tan Choi was a stranger to him, but he felt a certain bond with the elder Asian. In fact, Steve and Tan Choi had already conversed in Choi's native tongue and during their conversation, it was clear they had both been transported to an alternate place. Steve was very much aware of what had happened and was convinced the episode was real.

Mike, too, was uncertain on what to say to his partner. While stories of spirits and paranormal had become more accepted in the general society, to Mike, Steve's situation was uncharted territory. Steve read a look of worry on Mike's face.

"Mike, I'll be okay. I'm a big boy, but I do appreciate your concern. I'll keep in touch." Steve said with a slight, reassuring grin as he unwrapped the blanket from himself.

"Steve," Lenny interjected, "when Mike and I got here, your blood pressure was too low, and you were chilled. At the very least, let me check your BP one more time."

Steve allowed that, and Lenny was surprised to find that while the reading was still a shade too low, it was much improved.

"Okay, it's better, but you be careful. I'm not at all happy with the idea of you going anywhere but a hospital. Still, I can't explain what's going on or understand what treatment you need. Tan Choi, you take him to a regular hospital if there are any problems. You promise me that?" Lenny directed.

"There will be no problems." Choi answered indirectly. That was not what Mike wanted to hear.

"Give me your address and your phone number," Mike ordered. "And Steve, if you are not home this evening, I'll be coming around to Choi's to find you." Mike redirected his order to Choi, "And if he's not well when I see him, I'm taking him to the hospital myself."

Choi provided the address and phone number of his home. He also gave Mike a business card.

Steve sighed, but figured he was getting off lucky with his protective partner. He was a bit unstable as he rose, but then steadied himself as he followed Choi out there door.

* * *

Mike returned to work and decided to immediately follow-up on the robbery and murder of Choi's brother, Tan Chen. He called the Oakland Police Chief and was quickly directed to the officer leading the investigation, Detective Dave Trundle.

There was indeed a robbery days ago at the import story which resulted in the death of Mr. Tan Chen, 65, of Oakland. Chen's primary cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage with the secondary cause a knife wound in the chest. The Medical Examiner in Oakland felt that knife wound and robbery combined to cause undue stress which resulted in the hemorrhage.

A witness to the robbery described the suspect as a dark-haired, white male in his mid 30's, over six feet with a stocky build. The man was dressed in a dark linen outfit, similar to surgical scrubs. The suspect fled with a handful of cash, never to be seen again.

Mike then inquired about the nurse's death. Since the nurse did not die violently, her death was not part of the Homicide investigation, but Detective Trundle found the answers for Mike anyway. The nurse, a Mrs. Margaret Pierce, age 45, died at the community college in Oakland after collapsing just shortly before her class was to begin. The cause of death was still under review.

Mike asked if there was a mention of anyone who was present when Nurse Pierce collapsed and died. Detective Trundle was able to provide the names of two students who were there at the time. Both were young women: Yi Wang and Hannah Janson. Mike jotted those names and their addresses down, and wondered if Yi Wang might have been his unidentified jumper.

Finally, Mike inquired about the Tan brothers. Were these men legitimate? According to Detective Trundle, the men and their families had lived in the area for decades and ran a legal, if not profitable, business.

"Dare I ask this, but is there anything that you might have heard about these men from a paranormal perspective? Anything odd?"

Mike expected to either hear Trundle laugh or hang up on him. He heard neither.

"Say more, Lieutenant," Trundle replied.

It was Mike's turn to share his information. He told about the jumper, Steve's injury and the appearance of Tan Choi. While he didn't want to delve too far into the story of the Yon and Huai, he did explain that Choi felt there was a spirit which was passing from host to host causing the death of at least the nurse and her studenter.

"Lieutenant, pardon my asking this way, but was there anyone else with you when you had this conversation with Tan Choi?"

Mike sighed. "Yes, my partner and our department psychiatrist, as a matter of fact." He figured that he had gone too far with the explanation and that Trundle thought he was some sort of crackpot.

"This is the same partner who tried to help the girl?"

"Yes."

"And he became ill after doing, so right?"

"He hasn't been the same since. I had him stay with me last night because he was having these 'visions' and zoning out. When Choi came to my house, well, it was just strange. That's all I can say. Dave, is there something that you're not telling me?"

Dave was quiet for a minute as he tried to compose his thoughts. "It happened twenty years ago. I had just joined the force, and it was one of the first major crimes I'd worked…"

Mike could feel the hair on the back of his end raise as he leaned back and listened to Trundle's story.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for your continued support! Halloween is just next week, so hopefully I'll be finished by then. Probably 2-3 more chaps left. All of this is totally made up (except for the characters of Mike, Steve, Lenny and Bernie - and anyone else who was on the original SOSF series).

**Dark Winds, Part 6**

Mike took a deep breath as he heard Dave Trundle continue.

"It was twenty years ago. I remember it was around Halloween. The import shop was originally owned by Tan Choi and Tan Chen's sister and her husband. The couple lived over the store. They had befriended a young man from the neighborhood to help stock supplies, clean and fix things. The couple was very kind to the young man. He had a difficult life up to that point. He wasn't very intelligent, but he needed work. They pair gave him this part time job and it helped him get by. It seemed to be working out for a few months, but then…"

"Go on," Mike pressed.

"The young man, his name was Marty, became infatuated with the sister. The infatuation grew until it became, well, a bit awkward. The couple decided that it would be best if Marty no longer worked there and so they let him go. The next evening, someone broke into the upstairs residence and brutally murdered the sister. It was gruesome; just like an animal had attacked her."

"And you arrested Marty?"

"It wasn't difficult to pin Marty as the prime suspect. Those who knew him said that the day after the killing, he was acting irrationally. Plus he had a motive. The case seemed to be open and shut: a troubled young man snaps and kills a woman who didn't return his affection or he was perhaps angry about his firing. Maybe even both."

"Makes sense," Mike agreed.

"When my partner and I went to his apartment to question him, we found him hanging from the light fixture, an apparent suicide. We called for the wagon to take the body to the morgue. While we were waiting, that's when it happened."

"What happened?"

"We heard the voice. It was a woman's voice."

Mike swallowed as he felt a chill run up his spine. "What did the voice say?"

"Bushi ta."

"That's Chinese for what?"

"Since neither of us spoke Chinese, we couldn't be sure. But we heard the phrase several times while we were alone with the body. My partner and I couldn't figure out what was going on, but we kept hearing the phrase. We eventually wrote it down so we could remember it. I think they call it phonetically, nowadays. At any rate, based on what we thought we heard, it translated to 'not him'."

"What did you do?"

"What could we do? I sure as hell wouldn't put that in a report, would you?"

"No, you are right on that one."

"But it bothered us both. Days later, we went back to speak to the sister's husband, but he was gone. At that point, her brothers were at the store and said they were going to be running it for the couple. They even moved into the upstairs residence. We never saw the husband again. We never had any other problems at that store."

"And that was it? The sister was murdered and this Marty was determined to be the killer?" Mike had been writing down notes and took a moment to catch up. "Is this how you think it really played out?"

"Based on the physical evidence we have, yes. We had nothing else to provide the DA to indicate otherwise. But based on 'the voice', the sister's husband abrupt departure and the gut feel we both had, no. I don't think we know all that happened," Dave conceded.

"Just curious, but what happened to you and your partner?"

"We never spoke of it again. Bobby retired about five years after that. He's living in Arizona now."

Mike pondered this information. "Dave, I think I'd like to pay Tan Choi a visit at his import store. My partner, Steve, is probably there with him. From what you've told me from twenty years ago and what I know now, this is concerns me deeply. Perhaps between the two cases, we can find a link."

Dave agreed and requested that Stone come to the police administrative building in Oakland first so that they both could go together.

After hanging up the phone, Mike decided to ring Lenny. While he couldn't process what was happening with Steve, he knew that his partner was in danger, no matter what. Just exactly what the danger was, Mike didn't know but he was beginning to have an uneasy feeling that he was getting involved in something they don't teach at the Police Academy.

* * *

Still mourning the death of his brother, Tan Choi had kept the import store closed for the last several days. He and Steve sat in the living room of the upstairs residence as he poured another cup of tea for both he and his guest.

Steve felt like he had drunk enough tea to float a ship. The fact was, though, it continued to help. Many of the aches and pains were gone, though he still had this odd sense he was in a very strange and surreal dream.

Tan Choi opened up about his life as well as his brother's. He told Steve what it was like living with the spirits. He felt certain that the Huai was responsible for his brother's death and wanted nothing more than to rid the world of the evil spirit once and for all.

"Just exactly how are you – we – going to catch this spirit, Choi?" Steve finally asked.

"We aren't going to catch it. We must destroy it," Choi corrected.

"Destroy, how?"

"The most full proof way of destroying the Haui is to pierce its heart with a pewter wrapknife."

"A what?"

"It's a very old pewter knife. The handle is also made of pewter and it wraps around your hand like a snake. It's a single edged blade that's very broad and sturdy. Here, I'll show you." Tan Choi went to his desk and pulled open a drawer. He returned with the pewter knife which was unlike anything Steve had ever seen.

"Are you talking about some sort of martial arts duel?"

"Not really martial arts – just butterfly knife that is used for this tradition."

"It's actually a 'tradition' to slay evil spirits where you come from? Here we pass candy out to kids on Halloween and eat turkey for Thanksgiving." Steve chuckled.

The old man smiled. "In a sense, yes, it is tradition. We are descendants of warriors. There are very few of us, so we learn to keep our tradition alive." Tan Choi proceeded to tell the young detective everything he knew about the Huai and their vulnerabilities. "Steven, you must ready yourself to defeat the Huai. It is the only way you will survive."

As Steve listened, he broke out in a cold sweat. The headache, which had dissipated, returned with a vengeance. The young man became very pale.

"What's wrong with you?" Tan Choi asked.

"I don't know. I thought I was feeling better, but now it's sort of back again."

"It will come in waves, Steve. You need more tea."

"Oh, please no. It's not that I don't appreciate it or dislike the tea. I'm just really tired of it. Do you think I could just lay down somewhere? Maybe some sleep would help."

"Come with me. There's a cot in my brother's room." Tan Choi instructed.

Steve got up and then staggered. The room was beginning to spin and Tan Choi grabbed on to his arm before he could topple over.

"Come now. We need to get you better. As I said, this comes and goes in waves. Let's get you to lie down. I imagine your lieutenant will be checking up on you. We need to make sure you are okay for him. Am I right?"

Steve smirked. "You have no idea."

A dark haired man jimmied the back door to the import store and was careful to make no noise as he crept into the back storeroom. He could hear the conversation through the vents in the upstairs residence and knew that Tan Choi was not alone. He smiled as he listened to the stories Choi told his companion.

He quickly knew he struck gold: he had found Chen's brother as well as the new, and apparently unstable, host of the spirit that had inhabited Chen. Defeating both at once would give him unstoppable power.


	7. Chapter 7

**Dark Winds, Part 7**

* * *

Mike Stone and Dave Trundle, detectives from opposite sides of the Bay, came together to speak with Tan Choi. Realizing the import shop was closed, Trundle found a separate side entrance to the living quarters upstairs and knocked on the door. Seconds later, Choi appeared and greeted his two visitors.

"Lieutenant Stone, I've been expecting you," the older Asian man acknowledged.

"Is Steve here?" Mike asked sternly.

"Yes, he's upstairs resting in my brother's room." Choi took a quick glance at Trundle. "You're the detective who is handling my brother's case."

"Yes, may we come in?" Trundle asked politely.

"Please, come on upstairs." Choi showed the way to the small living room in the upstairs residence. "Have a seat. May I offer you anything?"

"Just some facts, Choi, and then I'm going to want to see Steve." Mike said as he sat down on the small settee.

"Of course. Lieutenant, I've told you everything I know. How more can I help you?"

"You can start by telling Detective Trundle and me what happened to your sister twenty years ago."

Choi was silent as he looked at the other detective. "I knew there was something familiar about you when you were here after my brother's murder. Going back all those years, I should have realized it, but you were much younger then."

Trundle nodded. "Choi, let me get to the point. Twenty years ago, there was a young man infatuated with your sister. Your sister and brother-in-law ended the man's employment with them as a result. That same day, your sister was murdered and the young man was found hanged. Could you tell me, especially in light of what's happened recently with your brother's murder, if there's anything else we should know about your sister's death?"

"You will not believe me."

"Try us," Mike urged. "There are things I've seen now which I can't explain, and I'd like to put some logic and reasoning to all of this. Were these so-called spirits involved in your sister's death?"

"So you are accepting of these things, Lieutenant?"

"I'm not saying if I am or not. All I know is that you have two siblings who have died violently, and there are unexplainable circumstances with each death. I believe you can shed some light on both cases."

"I believe the Huai was in the form of my brother-in-law twenty years ago. He's returned as someone else."

Trundle asked, "What happened to your brother-in-law? He disappeared so suddenly after your sister's burial."

"Chen and I thought our sister was slain by the young man. His name was Martin Lo, but they called him Marty."

"Yes, he's the one," Trundle agreed.

"After we heard Martin was dead, we returned to the shop only to find my sister's husband here. He tried to fight both my brother and me, but was no match for us. Twenty years ago, we were fit fighters and between the two of us, we were able to battle him. We did not destroy him, but he fled the scene."

"And did he have this spirit? The Huai?" Mike asked, somewhat unbelieving he was uttering the question.

"Yes, I believe he did. He knew too many secrets of the Huai's way of fighting."

"And you think that your sister was murdered by her husband? Was it because she was a Yon as well?"

"I do not believe that her husband was really a human, but really just a physical form to house the evil Huai. I believe the Huai was seeking more power and knew that my brother, my sister and I were together. How better can he gain his strength than to defeat three Yon at once?"

"But he wasn't able to."

"No, our sister was the physically weaker of the three of us, so she was his first mark. But my brother and I were prepared for him. Like I said, we didn't destroy him because we did not have the pewter wrap knife at the point."

"The what?" Mike asked.

"It's the traditional knife used to defeat the Huai. My brother and I only acquired the knife after my brother-in-law left."

Mike could only nod. "But destroying him," Mike began as he attempted to articulate his unease. "Mr. Tan, unless you are in a position of self-defense, please understand that you are talking about committing a murder. Whomever has been here and is after you and your brother must be apprehended and tried by the courts. "

"This is beyond your system, Lieutenant. This Huai is not human and must be destroyed."

Trundle picked up on the comment "And you think whoever killed your sister has returned?"

"Yes, I think he's back. He's waited for us to age while he has probably taken the form of another."

"And this 'other' would be the man who killed your brother?" Trundle said.

"Yes, he's the man I described. A white male, stocky, with dark black hair."

"If he's taken on another form, who's to say that he isn't already different?" Trundle asked. Mike thought it was a good question.

A tired voice from the other room responded matter-of-factly. "He's not a shape shifter. His form slowly evolves."

Mike's ears perked as he realized it was his partner. He slowly made his way into the room and took a seat on a chair across from the settee. Gaunt with dark circles under his eyes, the young man looked completely unkempt.

"Buddy boy, you look like death warmed over…" Mike was stunned as he saw how pale and in pain his partner looked.

"I'm all right. It's just a bad headache." To Choi, Steve continued, "Sleeping didn't help. I guess I'll take some more tea."

Choi got up to get some more of the beverage.

"Steve, I need to get you out of here. I'm really worried about you." The concern showed in the older man's voice.

"There's nothing that can be done, Mike. At least not by regular doctors. This is so different. I know it's crazy, but I've seen and heard too much."

"Look, I talked to Lenny. You probably have something in your system. Some sort of toxin, maybe. We can get you somewhere - a rehab center - and get this out of you."

"No, Mike…" Steve began as he shook his head. His discomfort increased.

"Or an exorcist. I have friends in the church, you know that." Mike countered.

"No!" Steve answered as he felt his blood pressure sky rocket.

"If I have to take you by force, I will." Mike's voice quickly became harsh.

The young man took deep breaths as he grew angry with the threat. Mike saw a new look in his partner's eyes. Steve glared at his mentor with a laser focus that would cut like a sword if allowed. He ran his hand through his hair, a common nervous habit Mike had witnessed countless times before. But instead of retreating from his anger, the detective became more enraged.

"Wo dúzì yīrén líkāi!" (_Leave me alone!)_ Steve brought his knees up to his chin as if he was about to spring into action against the older man. Trundle looked on in fear.

"Steve…" Mike tried to reason. _Good heavens, he's lost it._

The young man continued to breathe deeply and began to rock in his seat. "Mike, just go. This is beyond anything either of us has faced before." As the breaths became deeper, Steve shuddered. "Qing líkāi zhīqián, wéi shí yi wan." (_Please go away before it's too late)_

Tan Choi returned to the room. "Steven, you must be calm and quiet." He handed the detective a cloth which had been saturated with different herbs including a special kind of lavender. "Go lie down again and put this over your face. It will help."

Steve took the cloth without hesitance and brought it up to his face for a quick breath.

Choi pleaded with Stone. "Please go, Lieutenant. You are disrupting the Yon and that will only place him in danger. You can do nothing more for him and he knows it."

"I don't like this," Mike countered.

"The circumstance that brought him here was not of his doing. He's a victim in this and he knows what his chances are. But his character shows that he's a survivor. He will do what he knows he must. So now, he's here of his own free will. You can check on him as you need to, but he must remain stable."

Choi's explanation did not help Mike, as Steve headed back to Chen's room. Mike quickly got up and grabbed his protégé' by the arm.

"You are coming with me. I have to get you out of here. I won't lose you to this." Mike was certain he was doing the right thing and Steve would understand.

Steve turned and faced his partner. Swiftly, his right hand grasped Mike around the throat. He shoved the taller man into the wall with one move. Trundle jumped up and drew his gun.

As Mike felt Steve's grasp tighten, his worry quickly became fear. Mike swung his right first directly into the fold of Steve's arm, but Steve's grip remained. Next, he tried to pry the younger man's fingers from his throat to no avail. Mike looked into his partner's eyes and saw they were pitch black. The normal hazel green was completely gone.

"Wo dúzì yīrén líkāi!" Steve repeated forcefully.

"Let loose of him or I'll shoot," Trundle shouted.

"No," Mike responded hoarsely. He knew that Dave was doing what he thought was best. "Don't shoot. He won't hurt me."

Steve took a deep breath and after several seconds, the fierce edge began to fade. Mike noticed the darkness in his eyes became less intense. "You must go," Steve said in quieter tone. "I'm trying to stay in control, but I'm losing the battle with the spirit just as the girl did. I wouldn't put my worst enemy through this, let alone risk this happening to you. I'm sorry, Mike, but this must end with me."

Steve removed the grip around the older man's throat. He met his partner's eyes one more time and then retreated to Chen's room without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm posting the last two chapters tonight. Thanks for your kindness and support.

**Dark Winds, Part 8**

As the detectives exited Tan's residence and business, Dave noticed that while Mike wasn't saying a word, his face showed grave concern. From what Mike had described earlier, Dave figured Steve to be a nice young man with a promising future in the San Francisco police department. If anything, Keller reminded him of himself twenty years ago - smart and eager to serve the public. Never did Dave think he would encounter something from the netherworld that would change his perspective forever. And now it appeared that experience would happen to him twice.

"Now what?" Dave asked the senior detective as they got into the Oakland PD cruiser. "Do you want to go back to our station house?"

"I need to get my bearings. If what Choi said is true, I'm afraid that may have been the last I see of Steve. I can't accept that, but I can't figure a way to get him the help he needs." The situation was surreal to the senior detective.

Dave nodded sympathetically. "I know a place near here that serves a mean cup of coffee. Let's see if we can't regroup there."

* * *

The dark haired man had jimmied the back door earlier and now heard enough to know that Choi and his companion were no likely match for him. All he needed to do was lure the pair to the basement where he'd surprise them in an attack. By destroying them both, he would acquire an enormous amount of power. The more power he received, the easier it be to defeat others with the same Yon spirit. At some point, he would be able to defeat other Huai as well. Then he could become immortal.

The dark haired man tipped over a metal bookend which sat on top of a filing cabinet in the basement. It made a loud crash. The enemy needed to lie in wait for one or both of the men to investigate.

Choi heard the loud crash and then felt a sudden uneasiness. Steve also heard the noise and joined Choi in the main room.

"What was that?" Steve asked.

The white haired man replied, "I do not know. I saw the detectives drive off, so I know it was not them. I'll go check it out." Choi retrieved his pewter wrap knife and tucked the blade down into his pants. Noticing the precaution the elder man was taking, Steve decided to accompany him to the basement.

"What do you think it was? It sounded like metal." Steve stated as they descended the stairs.

"My office is in the basement. From what I can tell, the crash came from there."

"It's a trap." Steve felt like he was stating the obvious.

"Yes, be on alert."

* * *

"Do you accept what Choi was saying, Mike?" Dave asked as he poured sugar into his coffee at the diner the next block over from the import store.

"I don't know what to think. Choi has nothing to gain by saying what he has so far. He sought me out to get to Steve. He's done nothing but try to help him. I can't think of any other angle there."

"Okay then, take what Choi said at face value. Say if you did accept the idea that some evil spirit killed Choi's brother, what would our next step be?" Dave looked down at the cherry pie that just arrived.

"If what Choi says is true about the Huai, then definitely he and Steve are the next targets," Mike reasoned.

"Steve said something about the Huai not being a shape shifter. Do you know what that is?" Trundle asked.

"I have no idea, but it sure seemed like he knew," Mike acknowledged.

"After seeing what Bobby and I saw twenty years ago, I've studied some about paranormal activity. Shape shifters go back to ancient times; to the Greeks and Romans. There are records about occurrences that touches every culture including Asian. A shape shifter is able to go from one form to another. Think of Dracula turning into a bat."

"I understand that it's a famous theme in fiction, but certainly not in my world," Mike added skeptically.

"In the Bible, an example would be the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Representation of evil in other forms is a type of shape shifting."

Mike gave Dave a bewildering look. Dave felt it best to refocus on the case.

"Steve mentioned that the Huai was not a shape shifter, but something which slowly evolves. The description of the man who killed Choi's brother really isn't that far removed from the sister's husband. Both men appear to be about the same age, dark hair and stocky build. The only significant change is from an Asian race to one of European, perhaps Latin, descent, but even then I'd bet the features are only slightly nuanced."

"So what you're saying to me, Dave, is that you think Choi might be telling the truth. And if so, Chen's killer may still be targeting Choi and likely Steve."

"Yes, if what Choi is saying is true, the killer would be after them both."

"And conversely, if we find no trace of the guy, then perhaps there's something else going on. We'd be back at square one."

"Let's go back and stake the place out. It's all we've got." Trundle suggested.

Mike reached into his wallet and threw a ten dollar bill on the table to pay for the coffees and pie. "Let's go back," Mike agreed.

* * *

As Choi and Steve descended the stairs into the basement, neither man heard any further noise. Earlier, Steve had left his police issued gun with Mike at the senior detective's request. Now he wished he had the weapon. He grabbed a bamboo cane from the import store thinking that would be better than nothing.

They entered the basement room where Choi had his office. It was dark and made of cinder blocks. Steve recognized the room from the visions he'd had earlier. The realization startled him and made his head swim.

"What's wrong with you?" Choi asked.

"Nothing. I've seen this room before in the visions I've been having. Man, it's freaking me out."

"Pull yourself together, Steven," Choi urged.

As they stood in the middle of the room, they heard no noise. Slowly, they looked around and all seemed quiet. Still, both men felt they were being watched.

Suddenly, there was scream overhead. The dark haired intruder had managed to brace himself against the ceiling by hanging onto a light fixture. He dropped down on top of Choi. Choi crumbled to the ground.

Recovering from his fall, the intruder was now straddling Choi on the floor. "I have waited patiently for this moment, Honorable Tan Choi. You are older now, but I am still young. Now, you will feel the pain that was meant for you twenty years ago." He reached to Choi's throat and started to strangle him.

Steve knew this was his moment and never did he feel more out of his element. The hair on the back of his neck was raised and his forehead was beaded with sweat. The young detective lifted up the cane and hit the intruder in the back of the head. The cane broke in half as the intruder slowly turned around. He sprang upward and grabbed Steve by the shirt and then pushed him back into the cinder wall.

The Huai came at him with both hands and proceeded to grab for detective's throat. Steve quickly felt his airway close off and knew that unless he did something, his life was soon to end. He began to feel an odd discomfort similar to what he'd felt earlier in the day. The Yon was taking control.

Steve, remembering what he'd learned in the police academy, quickly levered his bent leg against his assailant's stomach and kicked. The extra energy he was receiving from the Yon made the difference as the Huai was propelled backward.

* * *

Mike and Trundle pulled up to the curb in Trundle's police car. Neither man spoke as they ran to the front door of the import store. They could hear the ruckus from the basement.

"I hope we're not too late." Mike commented as the Oakland detective kicked the door in. The noise from the fighting became louder and directed the men downstairs. "This way," Mike commanded.

By the time the detectives made it to the basement, the fighting was a full scale war. After the Huai regained his footing, he turned his attention to Choi. He grabbed Choi roughly with both hands and lifted the elderly man over his head. His intent was to hurl the elderly man across the room. Steve ran into the Huai who let loose of his grip on Choi before he could . Choi fell to the ground.

"Hold it! Police!" Trundle ordered.

Both officers had their guns out, but the fighting continued. The Huai returned his attention to Steve with a sharp left hook to the jaw. He then picked Steve up by the arm and threw him into the wall. Mike cringed at the sight.

"I said, 'Hold it'," Trundle repeated.

Steve charged back at the intruder, barreling directly into his midsection. Trundle looked at Mike, realizing that neither man was armed. He didn't want to shoot, especially his colleague's partner, and judging by the intensity of the fight, he knew he was no match for any of them, including the old man.

"Steve!" Mike shouted as he tried to reason with the young man. "He's our murder suspect. Let's book him and take him in."

Choi responded, "The Huai will not allow that to happen. We must fight it out."

Steve landed a couple of blows into the face and stomach of the intruder. The dark haired man returned the punches with more of his own. The last punch was hard enough to knock out a couple of teeth. Steve was too consumed to hear the rattling in his mouth. He swallowed the combination of blood and teeth as he fell hard on the cement floor.

Choi reached under his shirt for the pewter wrap knife and slid it swiftly to the fallen officer. The power of the Yon strong within him, Steve grabbed the knife and got back on his feet. The intruder saw the knife and was struck with fear. It was definitely a powerful weapon that he didn't know the older gentleman possessed.

"Steven, here. You must use it." Choi instructed. He then turned around and issued a backward kick into the intruder's midsection with all of his might. The sound of cracking ribs made Trundle flinch. It was Steve's cue to charge the assailant.

"No!" Mike yelled. "Steve, don't!" Mike lowered his pistol. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that his partner and dearest friend would take the life of an unarmed man. And yet, he knew he had to react and stop him.

"You must, Steven!" Choi ordered. "He is not human."

Mike raised his gun and pointed to his partner. "Steve, drop the knife. That man's unarmed. You can't do this, Buddy boy."

The voice tinged with sadness seemed to bring Steve back to his senses and quell the Yon. He stopped for a split second as he realized what his mentor had thought. _He thinks I'm going to kill an unarmed man. _Bothered at the idea that Mike thought he was capable of outright murder, he looked quickly at Mike and shook his head. "No, it's..."

The hesitation was all the intruder needed. With his right hand, he grabbed the handle of the knife. With his other arm, he yanked Steve around and pulled him by the neck. The young man faced his partner as he tried in vain to pull the intruder's arm from around his back.

The intruder had Steve at his mercy. Beaten, with blood dripping from his mouth, Steve knew it too. The dark haired man's face was contorted: he knew he was about to destroy the Yon which existed in Steve. He opened his mouth and bore teeth like a wolf. The Yon struggled to free itself and Steve's head hurt fiercely. He cried out in pain.

With Steve now positioned as the intruder's shield, Mike looked on in horror and aimed his gun. It was all he could do to protect his partner. The first shot hit the dark-haired man's arm, but that only strengthened his resolve. The grip around Steve's throat became tighter. Mike discharged another shot and hit the man's thigh. The intruder bore his teeth once more and screamed in a way that struck Mike as unworldly. It was a scream of victory as he plunged the knife through Steve's back.

While the pain in his head suddenly stopped, Steve could feel the bitter taste of warm blood rising quickly up his esophagus and into his mouth. He looked down to see the blade come just above his stomach. His life would be over in a split second. He was utterly helpless. He looked at Mike and tried to mouth, "Sorry" before he fell to the ground lifeless.

tbc...


	9. Epilogue?

**Dark Winds - final / epilogue**

A loud moan and a gasp caught Jeannie's attention as she stared out the hospital window onto the parking lot ten stories below. The young woman turned to face her father; his pale complexion had become the norm these last few days. "Steve, no!" he shouted, still with his eyes closed. The young woman rushed over and enveloped his hand with hers. Mike had been in a restless sleep, but now he was beginning to come around. She waited patiently as he opened his eyes..

"Mike, it's okay. I'm here." She sat on the edge of bed, touching his face and providing comfort. The heat from his fever was nowhere near as warm as it had been, she realized.

"It was terrible, Jeannie." Mike said as he looked around. "Where am I? The hospital?"

"Yes, we brought you in a couple of days ago. You've been very sick." Jeannie was exhausted in her own right, having stayed by her father's side for what seemed like countless hours.

"No, don't worry about me. It's Steve." Mike wanted to tell his daughter of how his partner teamed with Tan Choi to fight something from the dark side, but he couldn't get out the words. Tears formed in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. He was so important…"

"Daddy, what are you talking about?" Jeannie looked at her father with measured concern; she understood he'd gone through a traumatic time in the hospital.

"Steve. My buddy boy. Sweetheart, I know what he meant to you. He was family." Mike's voice wavered.

"Meant? Mike, he's…" Jeannie began to explain as a familiar figure walked through the door.

"Hey, you're awake! That's a relief," Steve said as he greeted his mentor. He walked near his bedside and rested his hands on the rails.

Mike didn't say a word, but stared at his partner. The young man looked like he could use a shave and a shower. His shirt was wrinkled and he'd taken off his tie and jacket.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Steve observed. To Jeannie, he asked, "Has he said anything?"

Jeannie realized that perhaps Mike did indeed think he was seeing a ghost. "Daddy, did you think something happened to Steve?"

"No, I…no. I don't know." Mike was flustered. "It just seemed so real."

"What?" Steve asked, with a slight smirk.

"You. It was crazy. You tried to help this girl but she passed this horrible thing on to you."

"Girls are my downfall," Steve cracked as he looked at Jeannie. Jeannie squinted in response. Steve became straight-faced once more. "What thing? Will I need to get a shot or something?"

"You were possessed by this spirit. It was called a Yon. Tan Choi had a brother and sister who died from this evil spirit. It was going after you. You spoke Chinese."

"Chinese? Have you been watching 'Kung Fu' again?" Jeannie asked her father.

"He thought I was possessed, so I think there's more to it than that," Steve surmised. "Confucius say man who sees "The Exorcist' before catching a virus will have horrible nightmares.."

Mike remained silent for the second time.

"You did! You went to see 'The Exorcist' and it scared the daylights out of you."

Mike ignored his partner and refused to admit he'd seen The Exorcist with one of the men from his church only days before. "I got sick, didn't I? It was all a dream," Mike then recounted what had happened in more detail to the pair. He ended by saying to Steve, "You died in the dream."

"Died, really? How?" Steve pulled up a chair to hear more about his demise.

"This is all very morbid, Steve. Why don't we just drop it?" Jeannie had heard enough. She was not used to how her father and his partner could talk sometimes so coldly about death.

"No, I want to know. Was I shot? Strangled?," Steve held his hands up to his throat. "Or was it like a vampire, where I got a stake through the heart?"

With the last question, Mike shuddered as he nodded his head. "Something like that," he began as he described the death scene in vivid detail. While only a dream, it was clear to the pair that whatever Mike saw subconsciously was disturbing.

"Oh, that sounds bad," Steve conceded.

"I told you to stop," Jeannie whacked Steve on the shoulder.

"You two been here a while?" Mike asked the pair.

"You caught a bad virus. The doc said it was a rare flu. You've been out of it for a couple of days. She never left your side," Steve said as he nodded to Jeannie. He looked at her with a deep sense of appreciation.

"Looks like you've been here a while, too?" Mike asked his partner.

"I figured Jeannie could use the company. After all, you weren't saying too much."

"Thanks," Mike said as he fidgeted with the blankets.

"I'll get Doctor Trundle. He'll want to get your vitals," Jeannie announced as she walked out the door. Mike jumped at the hearing the name. He must not have been too deeply asleep.

As Jeannie left the room, he turned to his partner. "I'm doing better now. Take Jeannie home and make sure she gets some rest. You too."

"We will. We'll make sure you're okay, though. All right?"

The doctor checked his vitals and it was clear that Mike past his point of crisis.

"Now, you two go get something to eat and then go home and get some rest." Mike ordered.

"You got it, Mike." Steve said as he looked over to Jeannie. "Get your coat and we'll grab some dinner on the way back to your place."

Jeannie nodded as she reached for her wrap on the chair. "All this Kung Fu talk has left me hungry for Chinese. How about it?"

"Sounds good." Steve agreed. "Mike, we'll be back in the morning. You take care."

Jeannie reached over and gave her father a peck on the cheek. "I'm so happy you are doing better, Daddy."

"Be careful," Mike called out. Jeannie was several steps in front of Steve and waved her hand in the air as she walked out the door.

Steve turned back to Mike. "Meiyou biyao danxin. Zhaogu." His eyes were dark and uncharacteristically focused. He then smiled and gave Mike a wink.

Mike swallowed hard as he watched his partner leave the room.

finis


End file.
